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How do!

Splitting this off from the TV thread, as it’s a pretty big development in Nerd.

Basically, the BBC is now hosting all remaining classic era Dr Who on iPlayer in the UK. Which is an immense collection of some really solid sci-fi fare. And indeed some super dodgy sci-fi fare.

It’s also introduced “Tales from the Tardis”, which are select classic adventures bookended with new, in-character scenes of Doctors and Companions past. So far I’ve enjoyed The Time Meddler, and Curse of Fenric.

The bookending might feel a bit superfluous, yet I think they’re a nice idea to hook those who’ve only really known modern era. They give a chance to explain the importance of the story, and introduce the classic characters. And a solid kick in the nostalgia for us Sad Old Gits. Certainly the closing booked of Curse of Fenric had me in tears, because Ace and the 7th Doctor were my personal era - and it teased the possibility of seeing them reunited in a new story. After all? Somewhere there’s danger. Somewhere there’s injustice. Somewhere, the tea is getting cold.

Anyways, feel free to discuss and recommend your favourite classic adventures, now we can all readily access it. Even if you need to use a VPN!

There's quite a of 20th Century missing from my DVD collection so I'll be diving in to that, probably starting with the adventures that are part of the 'Tales of the Tardis' collection. I'm also feeling a bit nostalgic for the Matt Smith era (also not in my DVD collection) so I'll be viewing that too. I wonder, is K-9 and Company up there too? Is it, in fact the whole of the Whoniverse?

K9 and Co is indeed on there! As are Torchwood, Class and some aminated gubbins. The underrated Sarah Jane Adventures and all, which are ideal for younger Who fans.


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Oh, and Tales from the Tardis are omnibus versions, so all the episodes stitched together into a single feature length erm, feature.

Many stories deep now.

And I know I’m biased because of Rose Tinted, but particularly the Baker and McCoy eras show how interesting plots and fun acting can cover a lot of the sins inherent to low budget sci-fi.

Don’t get me wrong, few if any were in danger of a BAFTA etc, but you still get some excellent telly out of it. And just occasionally? Some proper thought provoking fare.

I loves it, I does.

A week to go to entirely new Dr Who. And to tide you over?




A short bit from tonight’s children in need telethon.

Is alright, I guess.

An amusement for the BBC's flagship charity. Guest staring 'The Voice of Nyder'.

Back on the Whoniverse - I've just watched Planet of the Spiders - Jon's swansong and he goes out getting to play with a hovercraft and loads of martial arts (sort of). Archetypal '70's Who and possibly the regeneration story with the most actual death-rebirth content so far.

Also, if memory serves the first time it’s named regeneration?

Yeah, it's the first 'real' regeneration with all the things we associate with it these days: erratic behaviour, call backs to the previous incarnation... before the new Doctor 'discovers himself' and we see the new character.

Looks like it's just us!

Just watched The Evil of the Daleks: the legendary 'final end' of the angry pepperpots. This was an animation to the surviving audio, using telesnaps as a basis. And it stands up - the plot is pretty good, the Dalek's plan sort of stands up, and it's a David Whitaker story rather than Terry Nation, so it's not a retread of []The Daleks[/i].

I have to say the Daleks them selves in the cartoon are much superior (I feel) than in the original. They're more, well, animated! The move while they talk, and all their 'stick's can move at once. They also glide effortlessly through the mansion doorways and amongst one another, a struggle I'm sure for the director and prop operators in 'real life'.

There's also a wonderful shot where a Dalek hides in room opposite where Jamie is taking his 'test' and as the Dalek backs up in to the room he just fades into the darkness until just the pinpoint of light in it's eye-piece remains. Quite sinister.

I reccomend it for those wanting a teste of the best of classic, 1960's Doctor Who.

I saw Tubi had a TON of Who stuff on it based on which Doctor it was. This is new from how they previously did it.

Mostly from the old days, but I liked the easy categorization.

Edge of Destruction(Hartnall era) was interesting because it introduced a dark atmosphere to the Tardis. Not bad for a quick 2-part story.

Ooooh! Shada

Now this is of great interest. Due to strikes, the original was never completed.

There was a release on VHS, where the unfilmed scenes had linking narration by Tom Baker, explaining what was happening. But, it didn’t flow right.

This however has animated replacement scenes, like they’ve used for other missing episodes where the audio was recovered.

Very interested to see how this shakes out.


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Yep. Massive improvement. The animated sections are well done. And interestingly, the audio was newly recorded by the cast, using the original engineer and equipment - so it’s pretty seamless.

Always a treat to hear Tom Baker reprise his role. And there’s a lot of Classic 4th Doctor “I’m just going to act the fool and get on your pip until you make a mistake” stuff going on, which works best when you know Tom Baker had that twinkle in his eye.

Glorious stuff, and well worth a watch!

Watched the colourized Dalek story tonight and much prefer the original episodes. The effort to add colour is commendable, but the extra music was annoying as it usually is in the new era. Its okay if one prefers to watch a continuous presentation of the story I guess.

I do find the animated inserts a mixed bag.

Now, that doesn’t mean I’m slagging off the team behind the animated segments.

It’s just, the result are oddly uneven.

Now I can’t draw for toffee, let alone do clever art like animation. So please don’t take this as “me no like, ergo talentless”.


It’s genuinely a case of some of the effort to replace missing visual with animations just work better than others.

Also? Happy 60th Birthday to the franchise!

You have a good point, although the animated episodes for Dr Who would probably be done by different studios that were available at certain times - Cosgrove Hall, for example. And then you have animation styles that change as individual animators come and go.

It definitely works better if the whole serial is animated (like 'Evil of the Daleks'), then at least you have consistency of style and it doesn't clash with the live action.

Happy 60th! Looking forward to tomorrow!

I’d definitely rather have wonky animation than nothing though.

New story airs 6:30pm tomorrow. I’m apprehensive, as I was never a big fan of RTD’s “dishy Doctor” stuff.

Well as they're recording Ncuti's second series already, I reckon you've got at least 3 years of RTD as show runner. Buckle up!

Depends if he’s restrained.

He has done some excellent stories. But also some of the worst drivel to ever carry the brand name.

However I’m a now 43 year old grumpy old git. Which means I just have to accept a lot of media that’s been going since I was tiny just isn’t exactly aimed at me anymore.

Psychic Paper remains an abomination though.

Just a speedy in to the story for the Doctor. The Second incarnation was having to pretend to be a visiting official, despite no paperwork or else First and Second had to have a convenient double they could fill in for. And for every Fear Her there is a The Web Planet, The Underwater Menace, Day of the Daleks, The Power of Kroll....etc

I think Russell has good ideas and manages the cliff-hangers pretty well, but his style can be overly silly and melodramtic and not in the good way.

So far, so good.

Bit more restrained than standard RTD stuff.


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Yep, that was genuinely pretty good!

Now. When’s the next one?

Restrained isn't the word I'd use.

Melodramatic and ridiculous (though occasionally fun) yet completely consequence free. [Except for some random guys in the gigantic UNIT army].

The roads getting magically unbroken just had me sighing at the lengths they'd go to have no lasting impact.

Started off alright but soon descended into Russell's usual nonsense.

Can't they do Blake's 7: The Next Generation instead?

SamusDrake wrote:
Started off alright but soon descended into Russell's usual nonsense.

I don't know. Even the start was rather rough. Didn't need opening narration telling me why I was supposed to really feel something about the characters

On the recap?

Every episode of Dr Who is someone’s first episode of Dr Who.

One thing I will say is that the Meep was the highlight of the episode, voiced by the wonderful Miriam Margoyles. Didn't know she went as far as Pacific Heights and Little Shop of Horrors! I'll have to give them another butchers...

Seems we get episodes 2 and 9 December too, which is nice.

I thought it was pretty good.
Dialogue was a bit clunky in places, and I'm not happy with the the sonic screwdriver becoming even more of a magic wand (Hopefully that was just them showing off their influx of Disney Dollars), but I'm looking forward to the next episode.

 Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
On the recap?

Every episode of Dr Who is someone’s first episode of Dr Who.

So what?

If the show itself needs to tell new watchers that they need to feel something for the characters, the writing has gone wrong. New properties with new characters don't feel the need to tell you that its super important that the characters matter to the viewer. Its just crappy writing.